Entries tagged with: BoweryBallroom

From the boot-stomping joy of "Hey All You Hippies" (a song off the new album Smart Flesh), to a classical interlude--a clarinet trio playing "Wire," composed by Adams--there is never a dull moment. Before beginning "This God Damn House," Miller instructs the audience to call each other, and hold their phones together when he does the same. The effect is an electrical chirp pulsating throughout the room, producing a sound that is at one moment like a landing spaceship on The X-Files, at another like a field full of crickets.

The encore is the title song off an earlier album, Oh My God Charlie Darwin.... Spellbound, it feels like the whole crowd has broken out in goose bumps. -[New York Press]

The Low Anthem are currently out on tour in Europe, but will be back on the road in North America before the end of the month, like they were when they played a headlining NYC show at Bowery Ballroom on March 8th with Daniel Lefkowitzand Bobby. The rest of the pictures from that show are in this post (t-shirt silkscreener included).

Tickets go on sale at noon today (4/8) for a new Low Anthem show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 15th, one date of a larger tour for the band that will see them link up with Iron & Wine for some dates, with Mumford & Sons and Daniel Lefkowitz for others (the NYC show doesn't have openers listed yet).

All tour dates, a video and more pictures from the Bowery show, below...

"There's a singer-songwriter intimacy in many of the songs on Middle Brother, as though band members John McCauley, Taylor Goldsmith and Matthew Vasquez were sharing secrets and anecdotes and decided to set them to music. All three men belong to bands -- Deer Tick, Dawes and Delta Spirit -- that trade on folk, blues and country traditions; even their up-tempo songs are less rave-up rockers than hand-clapping foot-stompers." [NPR]

That blurb comes from a March 28th (yesterday) NPR feature on Middle Brother that you can listen to at NPR's site. On April 3rd Middle Brother kick off a west coast tour, but earlier this month they toured through NYC on their way to SXSW, and while they were here they played epic shows at both Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom with opening collaborative sets by Deer Tick, Dawes, Jonny Corndawg and Matthew Vasquez. The MHOW show ended with everyone back out on stage during the encore, along with special guest Phosphorescent for the final jam of the night.

Since then I saw Middle Brother again at SXSW, where, like in NYC, the country-stylish Jonny Corndawg (as seen in today's NY Post) almost stole the show. The Austin show I saw was the BrooklynVegan Day Party at Barbarella, but they also played an official showcase at Auditorium Shores which is streaming at NPR.

I just realized that not only haven't I posted the SXSW pictures yet, I never even post the NY ones, so here is the set from Bowery Ballroom and it continues below...

John Darnielle's The Mountain Goats played their first of three shows at Bowery Ballroom with the amazing Megafaun last night (3/28). Surprise guest Craig Finn from the Hold Steady (whose upcoming Terminal 5 show was being advertised via projection on the wall at last night's LCD Soundsystem show) came out and sang on "This Year" as you can watch in a video below.

And they do it again tonight (3/29). More pictures, the video and the setlist from last night, below...

"I would gladly spend my last night on earth with Noah & the Whale... The fullness and the richness of their song whether on acoustic folk songs or rock songs on the electric guitar is amplified a thousand times by the band's enthusiasm. It's easy to see on their faces that they love what they're doing: even their bleakest, darkest songs like 'I Have Nothing' have a purity and an elegance that sets them apart from broody emo ballads on the radio. Similarly, Noah & the Whale's poppiest, most playful songs aren't just throwaway songs: substance and masterful lyrics complement pure infectiousness. -[Trust Me On This]

That's some strong Noah & the Whale love, and it's also someone's review from one of their two recent Bowery Ballroom shows that they played with Luke Rathborne (3/21 & 3/22).

Pictures from both the 3/21 Bowery show AND the official SXSW showcase, all bands included, adorn this post. They continue below along with some new Noah & the Whale song streams, Noah's NYC setlists and more dates...

The Quad: I have to say, I've been to a bunch of shows here, and this is definitely one of the most engaged crowds I've seen.

Nils: That's definitely good to hear.

Paul: The people who come to our shows are super nice.

The Quad: It seems like your fans are really nice, for lack of a better word.

Nils: It's funny 'cause some people are like, 'oh, nice Canadians, do you get beat up by Americans when you go there?' It's like, oh, not most of the time, we have nice friends that come out, nice audience members. I guess we don't court danger too well as a band. (Laughs).

The Rural Alberta Advantage are now touring their way through America, to SXSW (where they'll play a BrooklynVegan day party at Swan Dive at 2pm on Thursday). On Thursday night they and their tour-mates Pepper Rabbit, with help from locals the Loom, played a sold out Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. Tonight (Saturday, 3/12) they play another sold out NYC show with the same lineup at Knitting Factory.

Eric Elbogen, a.k.a. Say Hi, is more articulate than the title of his new album, "Um, Uh Oh," suggests. The 12 songs aren't wordy but do offer well-observed vignettes of modern life. What's pruned severely on the Seattle one-man band's seventh album is the music.

...Elbogen has a gruff voice, which he doesn't sweeten with vocal harmonies. Yet this album includes melodious elements that create an interesting tension with the singer's rasp. The pretty riff underlying "Take Ya' Dancin' " promises a sweeping chorus that never quite arrives, and "Trees Are a Swayin'" uses a stately piano motif to certify Elbogen's grand promise to "love you till the end of the world." Both songs are testaments to Say Hi's impressive powers of suggestion." -[Washington Post]

The Say Hi/Yellow Ostrich/Blair tour made its NYC stop Monday (3/7) at Bowery Ballroom Both openers' setlists and more pictures from the show (and more tour dates too), below...

No, that's not a list of what happened in a weird dream last night. That is the LINEUP of a NYC show at Bowery Ballroom on May 22nd in celebration of the tenth anniversary of Michael Azerrad's "classic history of the '80s indie underground", Our Band Could Be Your Life (a book everyone reading this site should probably own!)

To quote show co-presenter Tiger Mountain Presents, "some of the best bands in contemporary indie music will play songs by each of the 13 bands in the book."

"For years, all kinds of people -- musicians, people who run labels, concert promoters, journalists, whatever -- have told me that they've been very inspired by Our Band Could Be Your Life and the bands it profiles, which is incredibly gratifying and totally unexpected," says Azerrad. "The tenth anniversary of the book was a great occasion for the current generation of bands to celebrate these pioneers."

"Dum Dum Girls take their minimalism seriously, from their stripped-down girl-group rock to their decision to limit their stage names to a single invented moniker. Singer Dee Dee, guitarist Jules, bassist Bambi, and drummer Sandy barely acknowledged the sold-out crowd at Johnny Brenda's on Saturday night, or each other, for that matter. Dee Dee, whose real name is Kristin Gundred, parted with a few words at the beginning and end of the hour-long set, but other than that, she was all business.

Business, it turned out, was good, good enough to justify the ferocious buzz that has built around the band since it released its first album, I Will Be, last year." [Philadelphia Inquirer]

"The set was a kind of live greatest hits, with Jackson tearing through countless signature tunes like "Mean Mean Man" and "Funnel Of Love." A few selections from The Party Ain't Over included "Shakin' All Over" and "You Know I'm No Good," which was impressive to hear rearranged for a four-piece band without a horn section. As she mentioned in regards to her new album, Wanda's performance was a showcase for all the different points of her career. Starting in country, moving to rock, then back to country, then gospel; Wanda has tackled them all and brought that variety to her show. Her backing group, The Lustre Kings, gave Jackson plenty of room to dominate the spotlight. This show belonged to Wanda, but she was plenty willing to share the fun." [Ugly Rumors]

That review comes from the 2/22 Philly show at World Cafe Live. Wanda Jackson & the Lustre Kings continued their tour at Bowery Ballroom in NYC last night (2/24). Unlike in Brooklyn or on Letterman, Jack White and friends were not the backing band this time, but the show was sold out nonetheless (just not as fast). More pictures from the Bowery show below...

For a sold-out show, the audience was oddly quiet and subdued for much the evening, but the laid back atmosphere was a perfect match for the first band of the evening, MINKS. As the members of MINKS walked on stage, they casually surveyed the crowd and began to play without uttering a single word. At their posts, they stood as still as stick figures, virtually motionless.

For such pleasantly upbeat music, the surprisingly lively "Cemetery Rain" aside, their performance was surprisingly deadpan - even with additional musicians helping out. (Are you really 'happy' to be playing, Sean Kilfoyle? Really?) They were a morose version of the Crayon Fields (but with female vocals added to the mix). Singer Amalie Bruun may be the most listless tambourine player I've ever witnessed, but I found myself oddly drawn to her. (Would she start to dance? Maybe smile a little? Open up between songs? No. Not so much.)

Up next was Abe Vigoda who immediately imbued the room with a bit of life, thanks largely to the poppy keyboard solo in their opening number, "Dream of My Love." Throughout their set, the LA group kept things interesting by switching instruments - often mid song. The drummer was especially good at jumping around on stage from instrument to instrument. The audience, however, remained largely reserved. "What? Are you scared to dance?" asked the keyboard player after a few songs. "It's fun."

As if responding to the challenge, one audience member tried half-heartedly to get a mosh pit going, but the movement didn't catch on. People did at least loosen up a bit though - especially by the time Wild Nothing began to play.

Like MINKS, Wild Nothing is a fun blend of sunny pop and subdued shoegaze, but they were definitely peppier than their opener. They even had girls dancing on stage for the beginning of their set.

"You're very polite and quiet and it freaks me out," admitted front man Jack Tatum. He was right. It was kind of weird. Much of the room seemed to be under a trance. (Maybe it was the combination of it being a Sunday and the night before Valentine's Day.)

After playing a few newer songs and a brief cover (Primal Scream's "Velocity Girl"), Wild Nothing closed their initial set with "Summer Holiday," which actually got more than a few people dancing. Following the warm applause from the crowd, they returned for a quick encore - the song "Bored Game," which seemed appropriate, given the lyrics ("I don't feel right without you") and the number of couples in the room.

--

Abe Vigoda played in Manhattan again last night (Valentine's Day) at Le Poisson Rouge as part of the venue's "Radio Happy Hour" series. Abe and Wild Nothing play a recently-added Brooklyn show at 285 Kent tonight (2/15). Fergus & Geronimo has been added as opener and advanced tickets are on sale at Desert Island Books (540 Metropolitan Ave | 718.388.5087). MINKS' next NYC show is with Dirty Beaches and Dum Dum Girls who they head out on tour with this month. After Brooklyn, Abe and Wild Nothing continue on tour together. All remaining dates and more pictures from Bowery Ballroom, below...

Friendly Fires paid a visit to NYC to play a headlining show to an energetic crowd at Bowery Ballroom Monday night (2/7). They played a mix of old and new songs - about seven new songs, or eight if you count "Kiss of Life". Their new album is out this spring. The full Bowery setlist is below.

On Wednesday they hit LA, and then that's it for the UK band this time around. They return for SXSW in March, but don't do a proper tour until May which is when they're back in NYC to headline Webster Hall.

No opener has been announced for the upcoming tour, NYC show included, but The Hundred in the Hands were the support last night at Bowery. More pictures from the show and tour dates below...

The British music press would have you believe that the Vaccines' first U.S. appearance would be akin to that of the Beatles'. Was it? No, of course not. But it was a good debut performance, albeit a short one.

Mississippi's Young Buffalo opened the night (not to be confused with Young the Giant who were playing over at Mercury Lounge), with their guitarist and drummer switching instruments halfway through. Both members were great on each. Think the Dodos, but with a greater emphasis on guitar. Brooklyn's Oberhofer were next, playing a frenetic and layered performance as the crowd at the Bowery thickened. Oddly, it seemed like the audience didn't quite know what to make of them. Songs would end and there would be a sort of awkward pause before any kind of response, but that could just be because their songs generally ended with feedback. Though Oberhofer's (ultra) quiet-loud-quiet dynamic definitely got the crowd's attention more than a few times.

As skeptical as I try to be about shows like this, I have to admit--you could feel a sort of anxious vibe in the air awaiting the Vaccines' arrival. They didn't disappoint. The Vaccines' songs were uniquely structured, played with the intensity and precision of a band that's been around for years (they only just formed last year). It's "garage rock" that we may have heard before, but that didn't make it any less fun. Ending their 30 minute set with the Standells' "Good Guys Don't Wear White", most memorably covered by Minor Threat, cemented my opinion that this is a band worth checking out again.

The Vaccines and Oberhofer do it again Saturday night at Glasslands (sold out), and look for both bands at SXSW in March as well. More pictures (including the written setlist) and a video (of the band covering Minor Threat) from the Bowery show, and some other videos, below...

Mick Burgess: As far as style goes Cause I Sez So was probably the most varied New York Dolls release to date and in many cases was quite a departure from your rock`n`roll roots. Will you be spreading your musical net widely again or will you be keeping things simple and direct?

Sylvain Sylvain: What they love us for is "Personality Crisis", "Looking For A Kiss", "Trash" and stuff like that but we've already done that. We don't have to make records. We have a name which we can use and perform probably for the rest of our lives. That's not the kind of musicians and performers that we are. We're doomed to write songs whether they are good or not, are well received or not, or flop like they did in the beginning. We were told that we didn't know how to sing, we didn't know how to write and we couldn't tune a guitar so why even bother, but you know what? We thought we looked pretty damned good doing that, even if it was a big crash. We had the last laugh though. It's like those guys that'll say "You only had one hit" but at least we got there once!!

New York Dolls are welcoming their follow-up to Cuz I Sez So, fifth LP and third since reuniting, Dancing Backwards in High Heels on March 15th via 429 Records. The band have scheduled a show for the following day to celebrate; Bowery Ballroom is the location for the March 16th party. Tickets go on sale Friday (1/21) at noon. The show is the band's lone 2011 date thus far.

The tracklisting and album art for the new LP which was produced by Louis XIV's Jason Hill, and some videos, below...

"Honus Honus and Nick Thorburn shared vocal duties, creating a unique blend of sounds. The juxtaposition of their very different vocals is totally to their advantage. That is the same type of thing that makes Wolf Parade work so well. The songs had a lot of energy and bite on stage, and hopefully the energy doesn't get lost on the album. They seemed to be loose and having fun on stage, sipping Makers Mark and joking with the crowd. Cera played a great bass, even if his back was turned away from the crowd most of time. He seemed to shy away from the attention, which one can understand. Even with his celebrity status he was an integral component of the band that fit in well." [WAWSTSF]

Throughout the 1970s, North Carolina's Lee Fields was better known as "Little JB," owing to his considerable debt to James Brown's indomitable presence both onstage and on record. Sporting a similar coif and husky singing voice as Mr. Dynamite (as well as some of his fancy footwork), Mr. Fields failed to make much of a dent outside of the South, cutting one album in the 1970s and bouncing around through the next two decades. But with the soul revival at the end of the 20th century (see his tourmate, Sharon Jones), Mr. Fields has stepped outside the shadows of obscurity. On such albums as "Let's Get a Groove On" and 2009's "My World," he reveals himself as having quite the range: handling drum-fueled soul cries, tender ballads and slinky funk expertly.-[Wall Street Journal]

One night before Sharon Van Etten filled the room, Lee Fields & The Expressions linked up with Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7 for a soulful show at Bowery Ballroom. The Friday night (1/7) show was a one off show for both bands. Pictures from it, with both setlists, below...

Though I only caught Sharon Van Etten due to dinner plans that went longer than expected (everyone was raving about opener The War on Drugs though), I can say that Saturday night's show at Bowery Ballroom was an amazing and extremely emotional one. I knew it would be a special show. Headlining, not to mention selling out, the approx-600-capacity Bowery Ballroom is a milestone in an artist's career. It means even more when it happens to a beloved, local and talented artist who has worked her way up and truly deserves it. I didn't want to miss it.

The moment was not lost on Sharon either. In the most sincerest of ways, Sharon fought back crying (the crowd didn't always have as much luck) and often addressed her family, who not only seemed to be taking up one side of the entire balcony (with her parents in front), but were also peppered throughout the front of the crowd (most notably her cousin who made her voice heard more than one). Sharon often spoke to and thanked the entire crowd, and she played songs - new songs, very old rare and solo songs, and the 'hits' off her 2010 Badabing release 'Epic.'

If you've seen her lately, you know about the full band she now plays with (she mentioned that it was the band's first time playing Bowery Ballroom) (she has opened for other people there). The band, complete with a new keyboard player and the similarly-hair-styled Cat Martino on backing vocals, really round out her sound in a grand way. Megafaun's Brad Cook also played on some songs, and the Antlers' Peter Silberman sang one with her as the rest of the Antlers watched from the audience (she sang with the Antlers when she opened for them on the same stage, and she mentioned that Megafaun was the first band to ever back her on her transition from solo artist to full band).

The show closed with the most perfect cover of R.E.M.'s "Strange Currencies". Video of that, with more pictures from the whole show, and her (and opener Sebastian Blank's) setlist, and an updated set of Sharon's tour dates, below...

Patti Smith celebrated her 64th birthday at Bowery Ballroom last night, 12/30. It was her second of three shows in a row. The third happens tonight, 12/31 - Patti's 12th New Years Eve show at the venue in a row. How were the shows so far this year?

On February 16th Patti makes another NYC appearance, but this time it looks like it will be more speaking than singing...

In celebration of her memoir Just Kids, Patti Smith takes center stage for this solo event where she discusses this impactful book, recollections of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and remembrances of New York City in the late '60s and '70s. The legendary American artist offers a never before-seen glimpse of her moving story of youth, friendship and sings some songs. Smith brings the same unique, lyrical quality to Just Kids as she has the rest of her formidable body of work--from her influential 1975 album, Horses, to her visual art and poetry.

Earlier this month Patti made an appearance on the Colbert Report. As Colbert's website described it, "Patti Smith gives advice to young people who decide to throw away their lives and become artists." Check out video of that, below...

"[Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.] played a short set of about 8 songs, most of them from their released EP from this year. They have a new album coming out this spring and it's just in time since they only have "like 3 CDs left," as the lead singer said during the show. They played a new track and it's definitely darker than the previous release, maybe they're spending too much time being depressed and lonely on the road...

...Live, they are quite entertaining. They dress in Nascar race suits and look like they're headed to get some "tires to the face" at a local track. They have some great lighted decorations that add to their fun showmanship. You can see it in "Vocal Chords" below, and it by far was my favorite song of the night.

Of course there were some entertaining moments when they invited some buddies to share the stage. They're definitely having fun with being musicians. [notes by spark]"

NY Press: You seem to be in a great place as a band right now. You're popular around the world, but still not so massive that connecting with your fans is a challenge. Do you have any fear that if you become bigger your music will become less meaningful?

Johan Duncanson of The Radio Dept: Yes, it's been our biggest fear since our first single in 2002. We've never been interested in 'making it.' We just want to create something strong, meaningful and different--something that matters to us. We're shy people and not very confident on stage. When the band grows you start attracting the kind of people who expect you to act out when you're playing live. The rock audience. That's what will kill us in the end.

So far The Radio Dept made it through sold out shows at Knitting Factory and Bowery Ballroom. Hopefully Webster Hall on February 3rd isn't the one that kills them. Tickets for the new NYC show go on sale Friday at noon.

Braids opened for the band at Bowery Ballroom, like they did at Knitting Factory. More pictures from Bowery and all Radio Dept dates below...

"The sound in the Bowery Ballroom was really excellent - A perfect place to see Jeff Tweedy solo. The crowd had been drinking pretty steadily for about 1 1/2 hours by the time Autumn Defense started their excellent set, and there was a lot of loud talking and a general "night out at the bar while a band plays in the background" atmosphere. John even made some snarky remarks to the tune of (not exact quotes) "Thanks for listening, the two of you" and that the Autumn Defense was a rock band "sort of", just loud enough that you could still "talk over them". This made me a bit nervous, because by the time Jeff took the stage, around 10:40, after what seemed to be an equipment issue delay, I wasn't certain that the liquored-up crowd would be able to quiet down. When Jeff first appeared, picked up his guitar and started picking the intro to Spiders, which were practically inaudible due to clapping/talking, I was even more nervous, but the crowd quieted down, and the few remaining talkers were forcefully and repeatedly shushed. Talking was not much of an issue throughout the rest of the show. At one point, Jeff thanked the crowd for being conscientious and quiet, to which somebody shouted "Should we get loud?". Jeff replied "Do you want to get loud?" to enthusiastic cheering to which he responded "Well, you came to the wrong show". Classic." [dvigs24]

One night after Jeff Tweedy showed off his guest-starring abilities in honor of the Jewish holidays, the Wilco honcho performed another solo set at the sold-out Bowery Ballroom with The Autumn Defense (featuring Wilco bandmates John Stirratt and Pat Sansone). As you can see from the above picture, Stirratt & Sansone joined Tweedy on stage, assisting in the performance of "California Stars" and "I Got You" as part of the first encore. Full setlist from the Saturday night show is below.

The Autumn Defense also played the Living Room last night (12/5). How was that? Did Tweedy make another guest appearance?

Jeff Tweedy & The Autumn Defense continue their tour together and play Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY tonight (12/6). The show is sold-out, but there are still tickets available for Wilco member Nels Cline's Yuka Honda show at Le Poisson Rouge which is also happening tonight.

[At their first of two shows at Bowery Ballroom (11/18)], Tame Impala wowed a very sold out crowd... Though lead singer, Kevin Parker, gripped his throat throughout the set due to his strained voice, no one could complain about the band's gripping presence... Coupled with a stellar projector show of squiggles that danced to Parker's riffs, the band completely blew everyone's collective wig off with grinding guitar squeals and hardened, rhythmic percussion... Had Parker's voice been in perfect form, no one would have noticed. Lyrics are back-benched here in favor of psychedelic washes of sound. There was a wall of finely controlled squall that held us all rapt. [A Heart is a Spade]

I have to agree with the band blowing everyone's wigs off, though I saw Tame Impala's second Bowery Ballroom show which took place one night later (11/19). We already posted pictures from the first night. This set of pictures is from night two which Stardeath & White Dwarfs and Kuroma also opened. All three bands are still on tour.

Kanye West played his entire new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy from start to finish, followed by a four song encore Tuesday night at the intimate Bowery Ballroom in NYC where Kanye literally brought in "all of the lights" (there were lots of lights). The show started with people who weren't Diddy (he walked right in) waiting on a long line. The show ended with Kanye going on a rant about racism, George Bush, Taylor Swift, the Today Show, etc. Audio of that final portion can be streamed below.

As I retweeted earlier Monday night, TEYANA M.J. TAYLOR (who is "all over his new album") spilled the beans. "Just got to rehersals for my performance with mr Ye West tomorrow at the Bowery Ballroom 2morr. Dark Fantasy Baby!!!," she wrote. She since followed it up with a retweet of her own too. "At rehearsals with @TEYANATAYLOR & @KANYEWEST for their show tomorrow. They both just sat here and made another hit too..smh GENIUS," said Mo-Barz. And if rumors are true, it will be a full album performance of his (perfect?) new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. How does one get in? That I have no idea (at the moment anyway). UPDATE: There are tickets.

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, last summer feels more and more like a distant memory. So, how can a collection of bands whose music felt topical a few months ago sustain interest in the late fall and winter? In the service of answering this question and building on their success this year, the Spanish Balearic band Delorean, along with True Panther label mates Lemonade and Chicago indie-rockers Light Pollution, added a stop at the Bowery Ballroom, the perfect NYC venue to gauge their current appeal. And, judging by the near capacity crowd gathered as Delorean eased into their set, either New Yorkers cannot let go of breezy pop or these bands offer an infectious sound irrespective of season.

Speaking to the latter, the Brooklyn band Lemonade opened in a style befitting the night. With drums, bass, and electronics, the trio focused on explosive rhythms and playful samples of four-on-the-floor style dance music. In support, members of Delorean stood on the side, dancing and, in the case of one member of Delorean, wearing a sharpie penned Lemonade fan t-shirt. These bands are kindred spirits of sorts and their mutual support lent a familial feel to the show.

Following Lemonade, Delorean issued a quick sound check as the crowd packed in. Once on the stage, guitarist and sampler artist Guillermo Astrain triggered an ambient loop, presumably easing the audience into Subiza stand-out "Stay Close." This loop, however played far longer than expected, and after an apology for the uncertain glitch, the familiar vocal sample kicked in, sign posting the larger than expected opening song. Immediately the band embraced the energy of the room, with keyboardist Unai Lazcano shifting and jostling his set-up to the rhythm and drummer Igor Escudeo switching in and out of double time.

Where Subiza can feel a bit hollow, tracks such as "Real Love" sounded richer from lead singer and bassist Ekhi Lopetegi's melodic accompaniment. At times Lopetegi's voice got swallowed in the mix, highlighting the group's frustrating tendency to indecipherably blend song parts and sounds together, but Escudeo's precise drumming kept the crowd and band perpetually engaged. Also, between songs, an airhorn blast, reminiscent of being at a European football match, cut through the silence, another reminder of the band's foreign culture and approach.

Regardless of the temperature or one's temperament, Delorean makes effective dance pop. The crowd ecstatically clapped, jumped, and grinded throughout the show, displaying if for nothing else that Delorean creates music that moves bodies. But, beyond the revelry, Delorean taps into a sound that produces moments, rather than having context dictate its appropriateness. And, when judging the merits of a band, longevity beyond a limited seasonal window surely speaks to strong song writing and staying power.

Delorean, Lemonade and Light Pollutioncontinue on tour, and if you missed the Bowery show last night (11/21), there's always Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday. Tickets are still on sale.